Homemade Mayonnaise and Aioli

Learn how to make mayonnaise and aioli from scratch! It comes together in just minutes and is so much better than anything sold in a jar.

When I read Julia Child’s My Life in France, I was struck but how often she spoke of homemade mayonnaise and her attempts to perfect it for the sauce chapter in Mastering the Art of French Cooking. I was extremely curious, having never made it myself. It’s incredibly easy. She has instructions for making it by hand as well as with the food processor. These days I use the food processor, which takes around 5 minutes. However, I highly recommend trying it once by hand to get an understanding of how egg emulsions work. And there’s something very satisfying about hand crafting a sauce. I find it easier to control the consistency, though it’s messier and more time consuming.

Are you wondering what the difference is between mayonnaise and aioli?

As far as I’m concerned, they’re basically the same thing; aioli just has a fancier name and some mashed garlic paste. I’m sure some will argue with me. Aioli also sometimes has additional flavors added in. I often see recipes for homemade mayo that use canola oil, which will work, but I prefer how it tastes with regular (not extra virgin) olive oil. So I make mayo and aioli using exactly the same method. You do you, I do me.

Please use pasteurized eggs with this recipe. They’re safer. Jeff got horrible food poisoning once from farmers market eggs, so I’m now only comfortable purchasing them from grocery store brands with the official pasteurized stamp.

I learned a great trick from one of my teachers. Most food processors have a tiny hole in the lid pusher. If you add the olive oil into the tube, it will hit the mayonnaise at just the right speed. Keep refilling as the oil empties until you’ve used everything. Then give it a taste test for consistency and flavor. Adjust spices as needed, adding more lemon juice or some water if it’s too thick. You can also get creative at this point, adding cayenne, roasted garlic, pesto, Sriracha, or whatever strikes your fancy!

This will last about 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time

5mins

Total Time

5mins

Learn how to make homemade mayonnaise and aioli from scratch! It's easy and tastes worlds better than anything you'll buy at the store.

Course:
condiment

Cuisine:
American, French

Servings: 32

Ingredients

2largepasteurized egg yolks

1largepasteurized egg

2tablespoonsfresh squeezed lemon juice(white vinegar will also work)

Kosher salt to taste

Ground black pepper to taste

1clovegarlic, grated into a paste with a microplane zester(optional)

1 1/2cupsregular olive oil(see notes)

Instructions

Add the egg yolks and whole egg to a food processor and turn the machine on, pureeing for approximately one minute.

Turn the machine off and add the lemon juice plus a pinch of salt and pepper. Add the garlic, if using. Puree for another 30-60 seconds.

With the machine running, slowly add the olive oil until completely emulsified. The sauce should be thick and pale in color. If the funnel-shaped food pusher that comes with your food processor has a small hole in the bottom, the olive oil can be poured through the top. That will allow the oil to be added at the perfect speed.

Once the oil has been added, taste and add more salt and pepper to taste if desired. This is also a good time to add additional flavors such as cayenne pepper, Sriracha, pesto, etc.

This will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, but is best enjoyed within 1 week.

Recipe Notes

I find that using extra virgin olive oil results in a bitter aftertaste. If you can't find regular olive oil (or don't want to buy it), you can use a neutral-flavored oil, such as canola or grapeseed.

Since the eggs are consumed raw, it's safest to use pasteurized eggs, which have been heated to a temperature that kills many of the harmful bacteria.

Thanks for the Aioli recipe. I’ve made mayonnaise before, but nothing as varied as your recipes. I’m loving the camera bag. One can never have too many bags, especially ones that hold a camera, and all the other things you need for a day out.

The LONDON Backpack – Brown.
I have been searching for years for the perfect photo backpack. This could be it.
And I am psyched about the aioli recipe, I just bought a chipotle-chili aioli from Fresh Market and it is so good, I am putting it on just about everything. It’s pretty pricey though, I will def try to make my own version!

I love the Austin in black…but all of their bags are really adorable. Let’s talk about that aioli…OMG! I am so with you on this…mayonnaise is what I put on a sandwich, but I love flavorful aiolis on veggies, fish, chicken…well, pretty much anything! Heading over to pin that recipe now!

Love my Epiphanie bag, and I have an admiring friend I would give it too. She has been such a great help in teaching me some photography skills, and I would love to reward her with this gift. Looking forward to checking out the aioli recipes as well.

Hello, my favorite Epiphanie bag is the Sydney in Caramel, but it is apparently other’s favorite as well as it is out of stock. I guess my second choice would be the Madison in black. Thanks for a great giveaway!

Wow! Fashionable camera bags, I didn’t know they existed! Thank you so much for the introduction and the giveaway. I would love the Lyric bag in Yellow! Since it’s out of stock I’d also love the black :)

Aioli = fancy mayo. ha ha. I WANT the Belle in Turquoise but they are sold out. WHY????? I GUESS I have to choose another color. UHHHhhhhhhh ok. Fine. Maybe the Belle in Fuchsia or the Ginger in Caramel. I don’t think those are out of stock, yet. Oh the grey color is nice too, but apparently out of stock as well.

The Plum Stella Bag you reviewed is gorgeous. I have always had my eye on the Madison bag, but I can’t make up my mind which color I want most. More than likely I’ll end up with the black just because it would go with everything!

I love aioli. I used to work in a restaurant where we created flavored aiolis for so many of our items. I think my favorite is between basil aioli and roasted red pepper aioli. Yum!!! As for camera bags, I think Madison in teal looks like the perfect bag. Life constantly changes and so does the bag. It can be worn as a over the shoulder bag for going downtown for dinner with some friends or turn it into a backpack for a day drip. Don’t forget the pockets. To me, exsessive pockets on a bag are my favorite. I tend to carry a lot of items with me when I go out shooting photos so having and easy and organized access to all my things makes this bag desirable. :)

What a great give away, plus an awesome recipe to boot!!! What else could a gal want- a beautiful bag and good recipe. The Sydney, Turquoise, would be my choice!! The recipe is on my must try list- looks delish!! Good luck w/ the give away!!!!

I love the Lola in blush Pink its beautiful.These bags have become very popular.Also by the way I love the style in which you photograph your food thats posted.Its very unique and it showcases your food item. GREAT JOB

I’d love the Stella in pink or plum! I’ve just started taking photos and posting pics of my food creations, looking into a Canon 100 and will need a great bag to carry my gear. Thanks for the contest, love your posts on Facebook!

Hi, I’m Jen

I’m a Maryland native living just outside of Washington DC. I graduated from culinary school in 2010 and have been cooking and baking professionally ever since. My goal at Savory Simple is to create everyday gourmet recipes that are easy to prepare at home. Thanks for visiting!

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All content on Savory Simple is protected by copyright and may not be used without express written permission. If you’d like to use one of my recipes or photos, please contact me. If you wish to adapt one of my recipes, please rewrite the instructions in your own unique voice, and link back to the original post. Thank you!